AAU Racer 1979 upside down swoosh vintage sneaker ad

Here’s an old school 1979 upside down swoosh vintage sneaker ad for the AAU Racer model runners. This girl is so stoked to be jogging.

If you want to see more bootleg Nike sneaker ads for AAU you they are here, here and here. I posted a pair of Vintage AAU runners here.

For more upside down swoosh posts I’d recommend to check out late 1970s Kinney brand Nike bootlegs here and here.

Ad info is below:

Tomorrow morning at 7... take off in a great pair of shoes

The Racer by AAU Shoes
Start your day off feeling great...looking great. Jog. For fun. For health. And when you do, put on AAU Racers. The non-stop performance shoe. Built to take it over the long run. The AAU Racer. The running shoe you can count on. For perfect morning take-offs!

AAU USA
THE FOOTWEAR OF CHAMPIONS

At fine department and specialty stores everywhere.

Vintage adidas 1978 ad for the Dirk, Apollo, Brasil and Shooting Star models

Here’s a 1978 adidas ad for the Dirk, Apollo, Brasil, and Shooting Star models. The Dirk has some strong Puma Clyde vibes and the Shooting Star appears to be adidas going head-to-head with the Chuck Taylor.

This ad also features Franz Beckenbauer who according to Wikipedia “was nicknamed Der Kaiser ("The Emperor") because of his elegant style, dominance and leadership on the field.”

Ad info is below:

Shoes and feats

There is virtually no sport today for which adidas does not make the ideal shoe. adidas expertise and technology provides you with the ultimate in comfort, protection and ... performance, whatever your sport. So. if you're interested in feats choose adidas.

adidas
The all-sports people

Foot locker ad featuring various vintage sneaker models

Here's a 1980 ad from Foot Locker featuring a whole bunch of old school models from various brands. Shown in the ad are the New Balance 420, women’s Nike Yankee, adidas TRX trainer, Brooks women’s Super Villanova, Saucony Jazz, women’s Etonic Stabilizer, Nike Daybreak, Puma Power Cat, women’s Adidas Orion, Etonic Road Worker, Nike Yankee, Spalding Ultra Flex, New Balance women’s 420, Reebok Shadow, and Brooks Nighthawk.

Vintage New Balance CrossCountry runners from 1978

I've been on hiatus for a while to work on projects but am back today with a vintage New Balance ad. Here's an ad from 1978 for featuring their Cross Country trainer. All about the Alphacrepe sole. This original vintage New Balance CrossCountry print ad is available at our web store RewindRunning.com.

Ad info is below:

CrossCountry Off-road competition shoe that's durable and cushioned enough for roadwork on hard surfaces. The light, flexible flared Alphacrepe sole has a studded configuration that maximizes traction while minimizing dirt pick-up; and the soft, comfortable upper with padded tongue incorporates New Balance's new broader and higher toe design. Men and women, 31/2AA-15EEEE, in Orange with White.

See your local authorized New Balance dealer, or send for our free color catalog. 38 Everett Street Boston, Massachusetts 02134

NB
new balance
athletic
shoes
usa

Bauer 1978 vintage trainers ad featuring Guy Lafleur

Here’s an old school vintage sneaker ad from 1978 for Bauer Equipe training shoes. This ad features NHL hockey legend and goal scoring machine Guy Lafleur. This original vintage Bauer Equipe print ad is available at our web store RewindRunning.com.

Ad info is below:

When Guy Lafleur hangs up his Bauer skates, he hangs around in Bauer training shoes.

Bauer training shoes are Guy's choice for top performance off the ice. Take the Equipe, the model he's wearing. It combines strength, traction and comfort with dashing looks. Foot support is concentrated at the greatest stress points. An elevated heel wedge helps prevent tendon strain.

Equipe has a fully padded collar, tongue, and a special tendon guard. There's even a full impact-reducing midsole. And the rounded heel construction makes running easier and the whole shoe itself lasts longer. You'll find Bauer training shoes for men, women, and children at a sporting goods store near you.

Bauer

Riddell Sports 1977 vintage sneaker ad featuring Frank Gifford

This ad dates back almost exactly 43 years to June of 1977 when Riddell Sports was making running shoes and giving away motorcycles and black & white TVs as prizes. "Right on" was kind of a great tag line.

Kinney NBA 1977 SL72 and SL76 style vintage sneakers

Here’s a 1977 vintage sneaker ad for the Kinney NBA runners. Kinney is now defunct but was a shoe store that was in shopping malls throughout the 70s and 80s. For awhile there Kinney was openly bootlegging the logos of sneakers made by bigger brands, including the Nike upside down swoosh shoes and Adidas-esque 4 stripers. This NBA sneaker basically merged the design elements of the Adidas SL72 with the D-Ring lace holder of the SL76 and threw on a heel wrap on the back.

Ad info is below:

THE KINNEY NBA
One action shoe that covers all the ground

• Easy breathing wide mesh gold nylon knit.
• Suede reinforcements at key stress points.
• Wrap-around rubber heel and toe protection.
• Ground gripper ribbed rubber sole.
• Fast tightening speed laces.
• Reinforced heel padding to protect achilles tendon.
• Full arch support.
• Extra thick heel wedge for extra comfort.
• Nylon foam padded tongue.
• A trimmed down, dynamite price tag!

Boys' sizes 3 to 6. Just $16.99 Men's sizes 61/2 to 13. $18.99 If you're a serious runner, a little leaguer, or the jock on the block, this is probably the best all around shoe value you can team up with. And it's only one of Kinney's great action collection of NBA sport shoes for everyone.

Kinney
The Great American Shoe Store

Kinney 1977 4 stripe NBA sneakers compared with Adidas SL72 and SL76

Jordache 1982 vintage sneaker ad

Our buddy @khallivegas posted a pair of old school Jordache basketball shoes this morning, so I figured why not make it “Jordache Friday.”

If you want to check out some other ads they are here and here and some old school Jordache runners are here.

Jordache “You’ve got the look.”

Ad info is below:

Dashin’ Fashion From Jordache

Look for Jordache Running Shoes in men’s and women’s styles in fine stores everywhere.

JORDACHE ATHLETIC WEAR LTD

Ektelon 1988 vintage tennies ad

We usually post old school runners on the blog but thought I'd mix it up for today’s post. Here’s a vintage 1988 advertisement for Ektelon racquetball sneakers. According to Wikipedia This brand was founded in 1964 in San Diego after the invention of racquetball and was named Ektelon based on a combination of two Greek words: "ektein", meaning to stretch out, and "telon", representing the concept of perfection. They are now based out of New Jersey and since 1988 have been owned by Prince Sports. 🎾

Vintage AAU shoes "Shuperstar" 4 stripe vintage sneaker ad from 1977

Here’s an old vintage comic book super hero ad from AAU shoes. This 1977 super hero vs villain advertisement is for their "Shuperstar" 4 stripe vintage sneaker model.

If you want to check out more on AAU sneakers we’ve posted more vintage ads here and a pair of upside down swoosh AAU sneakers here.

Saucony 1979 vintage sneaker ad for the Trainer and Ms. Trainer 1980

Here’s a 1979 Athlete’s Foot ad for the Saucony Trainer 1980 and Ms. Trainer 1980. This ad features some horribly difficult to read text but I had the OCR machine run the translation below. Saucony should bring these back.

Ad info is below:

Flexibility!

Durability!

You get both in the new Saucony Trainer 1980 and Ms. Trainer 1980 at THE ATHLETE’S FOOT stores.

The Saucony TRAINER 1980 is the only training shoe constructed with soft foam replacing the insote board under the sock liner. It helps you to run with ease - with minimum shock, and still gives you good support. A.RUNNER'S WORLD 5-star shoe.

The MS. TRAINER-1980 is constructed with an innovative hinged insole strip providing the flexibility and support she needs for miles of training. It’s the perfect shoe for the serious woman-runner.

Men's TRAINER 1980 in blue or tan. Ladies' MS. TRAINER 198D in blue at participating THE ATHLETE'S FOOT stores. No one knows the athlete's foot like The Athletes Foot.

New Balance 1979 W320 and W355 vintage trainers sneaker ad

Back again with another 1979 ad from New Balance featuring their W320 and W355 women’s trainers.

Ad info is below:

Two new road softeners for women.

Don't let the pavement pound your feet mercilessly. New Balance's top-rated W320 and W355 trainers for women provide superior protection and comfort, a precision fit in widths as well as lengths, and total performance. Both shoes are designed on a special woman's athletic combination last with box toe and two-sizes-narrower heel.

The new vinyl Achilles tendon pads and heel strips prevent slippage; the one-piece, foam-backed uppers provide glove-like comfort; the arch-support saddles cinch your feet snugly and firmly; and the tough, well-cushioned sole/wedge/midsole materials give durable protection. Both shoes display stylish new colors too — Cal Blue with White for the W320, and Cal Blue with Yellow for the W355 — and both come in women's sizes 4-10 and widths AA-D. (Sizes 11-12 avail-able at addition-al cost.)

new balance

Kmart Trax 1978 Cross Country Jogger vintage sneaker commercial

Here’s a vintage 1978 Kmart Trax brand sneaker commercial for the Cross Country Jogger. Trax was Kmart’s in house brand at the time and we’ve posted a bunch of their old ads here and a couple of pairs of their old sneakers here and here.

Puma Great Cat Family 1979 vintage sneaker ad

Here’s an old school 1979 vintage sneaker ad for Puma featuring their Easy Rider, Whirlwind, Sky Rider, Rocket trainer, Joy Rider and Rockette model runners.

Ad info is below:

THE GREAT CAT FAMILY

PUMA's Easy Rider has spawned a generation of great cats for training and racing. All of the Easy Rider features — sturdy heel counter, improved foot support system, shock absorbing cones and thick, tough wedge — are found in its bold new family.

Easy Rider and its offspring are built to cushion the foot, minimizing stress on the ankle, heel and surrounding tendons. all cones on the soles of some models cushion the shock of impact while shorter cones cut down wear by checking compression of the taller ones. Reinforced uppers provide comfort and foot-gripping support.

The Great Cat Family is designed for mile after mile of injury-free, pleasurable running using the same superior technology that outfitted nine of eleven starters on Argentina's World Cup soccer champions. PUMA — The Great Cat Family. Grrrr.

PUMA
A pride of PUMAS: Top. Rocket trainer. Middle row, from left, Joy Rider women's trainer; Rockette women's trainer:

Osaga Caliente and Feather 1979 vintage sneaker ad

Here’s a 1979 ad for the Osaga Caliente and Feather model running shoes. According to the ad both of these shoes were rated #1 in forefoot impact by Runner's World magazine.

Ad info is below:

running strong

"It is a shoe that incorporates proven or theoretically reliable features to aid the runner in preventing injuries during periods of heavy mileage or heavy racing." Description of 4-star shoe Runner's World Oct. 1978

Both these shoes were rated #1 in forefoot impact by Runner's World magazine. Each shoe has a grooved midsole for optimum shock absorption and studded bottoms for good traction. The Feather, designed exclusively for women, is constructed on a woman's last for correct fit. The Feather and Caliente help you run farther longer.

Call or Write:
OSAGA INCORPORATED
2468 West 11th Avenue
Eugene, Or. 97402 (503)484-1344

Cobra brand 1979 vintage sneaker and cleats ad

Here’s an old ad from 1979 for Cobra brand athletic shoes and cleats. Cobra was a Brazilian brand and rolled out endorsements from Bob Griese, Carlos Alberto, Tom Seaver and Willis Reed.

Ad info is below:

Strike with Cobra…
And you’re in the action.

These champions do!

Bob Griese
Carlos Alberto
Tom Seaver
Willis Reed

The finest tennis, basketball, soccer, baseball and racquetball shoes…
Plus the most functionally designed jogging shoes ever made.

COBRA
ON THE FEET OF CHAMPIONS

A DIVISION OF COBEC

Sears 1984 catalog featuring 'The Winner' retro sneakers

Here’s a scan from the 1984 Fall Sears catalog featuring 'The Winner' retro sneakers. This catalog also has “Jack Twyman” branded tennis shoes that look a little like Stan Smith sneakers. Twyman played in the NBA for the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals who later became the Sacramento Kings.

Point 4our 1975 vintage sneaker ad

This is a 1975 vintage sneaker ad for point 4our. We could not find any “World Indoor Record” breaking articles of anyone wearing Point four runners in 1975 so the jury is out on this ad. Also, the old Point 4our world headquarters location in Toledo, OH is now a Panera bread if any of y’all are into that Toasted Frontega Chicken.

Ad info is below:

point 4our
now a World Indoor Record

a sure start -
a fast finish!

SEE YOUR SPORTING DEALER OR WRITE:

Koenig Sporting Goods Cleveland, Ohio

Athletic Supply Toledo, Ohio

Outdoorsman Knoxville, Tennessee

Write for free Point Four poster.

point 4our ltd. 4050 Talmadge Road Toledo, Ohio 43623 (419) 472-6982

Jox vintage sneaker advertisement

This one is for the ladies - I can’t put a year to this one but here’s another old school vintage sneaker ad for Jox. The Thom McAn Jox line was profiled a few years ago by Alec Banks at HighSnobiety article 'Meet the company that has been doing insane knockoffs since the 1970s' article here. Bummer that the photos were removed from the story.

Ad info is below:

JOX

For every game you playa

These are Jox for women. Jox for tennis. cycling and running. Made specifically to fit a woman's foot in as many styles colors as there are games to play. Jox for women in canvas or nylon and suede. Only $14.99 and $15.99. Only at Thorn McAn.

Prices slightly higher in Puerto Rico and Canada.

JCPenney USA Olympics 1979 vintage 3 stripes sneaker ad

Nope, not adidas. Here’s a 1979 vintage three stripes sneaker ad by JCPenney for their U.S.A. Olympics model sneakers.

Ad info is below:

The shoe built to take this pounding mile after mile.

Every time you run a mile you pound each-foot down about a thousand times. Each one of those footfalls exerts up to 500 pounds of force. You're looking at the shoe built to take that kind of pressure, and a lot more. New U.S.A. Olympics'." They're built to take the pounding. Cushion the shock, and provide the comfort. Stride after stride. Mile after mile.

At the affordable low price of $17.99. An time you buy a pair JCPenney tribute 50¢ to the U.S. Olympic Committee. U.S.A. Olympics': available at JCPenney or through the catalog jogging, tennis, and basketball For men, worn boys. The shoes take it.

INTRODUCING U.S.A. OLYMPICS

THE SHOE BUILT TO TAKE IT.

Only at JCPenney